Xanian reproduction
Xanian reproduction is the method by which the Xanian population propagates itself over recurring generations. Because of the considerably different biological factors of the species, male and female in the traditional sense known to humans does not exist in Xanians. Therefore, for the purposes of this article, Xanian "males" will be defined as apexes, and Xanian "females" as nadirs. The Xanians are unique in that they are the only known sentient species through which the species equivalent of a female does not give birth, but their male counterparts do. Because the means by which the apexes produce offspring, it is impossible for the Xanians to have more than one parent. As a result, Xanian reproduction is strictly asexual. The Xanians possess 92 chromosomes, which are crossed with one another to produce the offspring of the father. The father deposits his fertilized eggs within a creche, or within the womb of a nadir, and after a period of five months the eggs will hatch. Because of a the very intricate manner of Xanian genetics and reproduction, artificial births are virtually impossible, even with the current technology available. Anatomy Xanian apex The apex reproductive system consists of four main divisions: the testicles where the sperm is produced, the paragus where the eggs are produced, the canubula where the fertilized eggs are stored, and the penis itself. With the exception of the paragus and the canubula, the penis and testicles are located outside of the body. As with human males, the location of the testicles outside of the body allows for the regulation of temperature within the testicles of the apex Xanian, facilitating sperm production. The temperature requirement for the Xanian sperm are considerably more relaxed however, with a wider temperature range thanks to the Xanians lower body temperature. Next is the paragus, which is arguably the most important reproductive organ of the apex Xanian. The paragus is responsible for producing the egg cells from the sperm cells it takes from the testicles, and then transferring them to the canubula for storage. The process involves converting the sperm into stem cells, and then into egg cells, which are fertilized by sperm already present within the paragus. This process of fertilization gives the Xanians a unique advantage growth-wise. Unlike most other sapient species, the Xanians can reproduce asexually and in large numbers, meaning that so long as a single male remains alive, the entire race is preserved. However, the high fatality rate on the Xanian homeworld and the violent culture of the species, typically prevents overpopulation. Xanian nadir Structurally, a nadir's vagina possesses many of the same physical traits as a human female, such as the mons veneris (Mound of Venus), the labia minora and majora, and the clitoris. The mons veneris grows in size as a nadir exits puberty, and is incredibly sensitive to stimulation as in human females. However, this is where the similarities end. Nadir genitalia is radically different from that of human females visibly and functionally. The vagina having a somewhat "V"-shaped opening, with two fangs seating where the clitorises would normally be located, and a clitoral hood resting in the middle. The fangs are retractable and capable of injecting a paralyzing toxin. They retract into sheathes which are visually similar to clitorises, but are in fact the end portions of the fangs' venom glands. The clitoral hood itself is a long, black prehensile organ about an inch and a half in length, half an inch wide at the base, and no more than two centimeters thick in all. Nadirs also have the Naven gland, which produces lubrication, which not only makes intercourse easier and less painful, but also aids in the smooth extension of the nadir phallus inside of the vagina, though the phallus is always coated in a thin film of the lubricate within the vagina for extension outside of the body for non-sexual activities. This allows for the phallus to be extended without causing irritation from the friction caused by the phallus moving within the body. The phallus itself is connected to the bladder, allowing it to be used for urination, which is the most common use for the organ aside from sexual intercourse by the nadirs. The gland also produces a fluid, which though harmless to Xanians, is corrosive to other species, and is typically utilized as a sexual weapon against non-Xanians. Xanian nadirs also have a womb and a vaginal cavity, although lacking both ovaries and a fallopian tube, since they do not produce Xanian eggs. All females are born with a phallus, located within the vagina above the vaginal canal. The phallus itself varies in size, though the average size of a nadir's unstimulated phallus is about four inches long and less than one inches in diameter. When erect, it is about five inches in length and two inches in diameter. When aroused, the nadir phallus can either be extended outside of the vaginal opening. The phallus must be manually pushed back into the vagina. Upon reaching an orgasm, a nadir ejaculating through her phallus produces up to several fluid ounces of seminal fluid. Breasts Finally, the breasts of Xanian nadirs are generally larger and firmer than those of human females, with the smallest breast size in adult nadirs being a C cup. The nipples of nadirs are inverted, with a horizontal slit opening, with a swollen areola extending to a near point supporting them. Female Xanian do not produce milk, the species as a whole lacking the biological need for it, but instead produce an amber-colored sexual fluid similar to that of precum. This fluid has been described as having a sweet taste similar to honey, but with a scent mixed between that of cinnamon or vanilla. When aroused, Xanian breasts will begin producing the fluid, and upon orgasm, will discharge vast quantities of the fluid, with higher amounts being more than a liter in quantity. The breast fluid itself contains a protein similar to that found in spider silk, and can be refined and woven into a form of silk cloth, a common practice in Xanian society. Secondary Characteristics Apex *Greater intelligence and self-restriant *Natural leadership abilities *Emotionally self-restrained *More independently-mined Nadir *Violent physical and sexual behavior *Highly prone to feralism and murder *Dependent upon apex leadership for peace *Psychologically attached to apexes Process Fertilization Sperm produced inside of the testicles are able to fertilize the eggs in the apex's canubula organ, or be transferred to the paragus for conversion into egg cells. The paragus of an apex is responsible for converting the sperm cells he produces into egg cells, which are transferred to the canubula, where the eggs are held in an embryonic fluid for an indefinite period of time. The paragus and the canubula are connected together by a series of ducts, which transfer the new egg cells into the canubula which is akin to a sack filled with the fluid that suspends and nourishes the eggs until fertilization. When the apex makes the decision to fertilize his eggs, the body to produces a large amount of spermatozoa. This reproductive fluid is then sent into the canubula after passing through the prostate, and begins fertilizing all of the eggs inside of the canubula. Following the fertilization, the apex only has to ejaculate the egg cells from his body into a liquid medium using semen as the carrier. The penis becomes erect before the ejaculation, and the eggs carried in the semen are shot out from the body. Gestation The gestation of the eggs spans a period of about five months. The eggs at the time of their fertilization, are only a single millimeter in size, or about the size of an ink penhead. The growth of the eggs is stalled while they remain in the canubula, so as the prevent the hundreds of thousands of eggs from growing simultaneously and expanding within their father's body. Once they leave their father's body, the eggs begin to grow immediately. Within two-weeks of exiting the male body, the eggs are about the size of an eight-week old human embryo, with a harden black shell protecting them. At six weeks of age, the eggs have expanded to about the size of a ten week old human fetus, this time the egg shelling having softened to the point the fetus within is somewhat visible within the bright amber-colored embryonic fluid. Any females carrying the eggs at this time begin to lay them as their body begins to reject the eggs from their systems. At six weeks of life, it should be noted that Xanians are capable of conscientious thought, though scientists have yet to determine what those thoughts are exactly. The synapses within the Xanian fetus develop at considerable pace, and allow for high intelligence far sooner than would be expected. At twelve weeks of life, the Xanian fetus is clearly visible within the egg, and the shell has softened to such a point that the egg is a fluid-filled sac. The sac is made of a protein which is virtually impenetrable, and protects the embryo from external harm while remaining flexible. The fluids within the egg also possess enough bio-luminescence that they glow, causing their creche to glow with a brilliant golden light. Creche caretakers are able to check upon and better care for the eggs thanks to this trait. Xanians in this stage of life can see, feel, and hear, and may respond to outside stimuli to a certain degree. The Xanians use this time to teach the unborn offspring before they hatch. In the final weeks of gestation, the fetus is fully capable of moving, thinking, and communicating via hand gestures to the outside world. Emotions can be expressed to others, and communication between neighboring fetuses is commonplace within a creche. Birth At birth, Xanian offspring are larger than humanoids with similar biology. Xanian newborns are born precocial, meaning that they are born relatively mature and fully capable of walking and defending themselves, this out of necessity given the hostile living conditions on Zhakar that made mobility of a family a priority. Newborns also possess cognitive functions superior to newborns of other species for the same reasons outlined above. The survival rate of an infant on Zhakar is determined by its ability to move and react quickly to danger. In the five months of gestation, however, only 10% of all offspring survive the first two months of life, often due to wildlife and hostility and rivalry between nadir caregivers. After birth, infant Xanians are hostile to one another, and often claim each others lives as they attempt to establish dominance over their siblings, greatly reducing the number of surviving children an apex will have. Immediately after hatching, nadirs will lay claim to children by kissing them, leaving a black lipstick-like substance known as notomin on this children. This residue signals to other nadir that the child they have claimed was placed under their protection by their apex husband. All Xanian infants are born with a full set of teeth and sharpened claws, and possess the ability to use them effectively, though against targets of the same size, such as small animals and other infants. Because of the in-born instinct of Xanians to dominate and to hunt, Xanian infants are immediately hostile to other infants that pose a threat to themselves. During the hatching phase, the father and his wives leave the infants to claw their way from their eggs, and allow them to kill one another. When the litter has been lowered to more sustainable numbers, the father separates the children, and allows his wives to claim the survivors, allowing the first wife to go first, followed by his other wives, and then the concubines. Conversely, he may simply allot the infants to his harem as he sees fit based on his own personal preferences. One notable fact is that before any of the eggs have hatched, all apex infants are removed from the creche to a special one to care for their needs more directly, given the importance of apexes in the Xanian species. Parental care As a species, the Xanians are keen to support their young by protecting them and caring for their needs. The newborn Xanians are relatively capable of surviving on their own in the wild, though they tend to hunt in packs to make up for their size disadvantage. Breastfeeding as a form of feeding is not commonplace among the Xanians, given that Xanian youth are born with a full set of teeth and are capable of hunting small prey on their own. Apexes have total control over the shaping of their children, who are obedient to the point of their own deaths at times. Teaching children to work together and survive on their own is the paramount goal of their fathers. However, given the vast number of children born to an apex, it is common practice for them to assign children to nadirs after birth, entrusting them to care after his children. Nadirs tend to view the young as either sexual tools or food should the need arise for it, especially when it comes to depriving a rival nadir of her assigned wards. Apexes will usually tolerate the former behavior so long as their sons are not exploited for sexual gratification, but most fathers will not tolerate the cannibalism of their children, the punishment for such behavior having always been severe. Category:Xanian reproduction